The present invention relates to a mortar and debris collection device for use within a cavity wall to prevent the blockage of weep holes at the base of the wall, and more particularly, the present invention relates to a masonry cavity wall assembly including a mortar and debris blocker and to a method of assembling a masonry cavity wall with a mortar and debris blocker.
Masonry cavity wall constructions include inner and outer vertical walls with a space or cavity existing therebetween. The inner wall can be made of a wood sheathing or like material, and the outer wall can be made of bricks, stones, blocks or the like held together by mortar. Weep holes are typically located at the base of the outer wall to permit water to drain from the cavity and to permit the cavity to be ventilated to prevent moisture from accumulating therein.
Excess mortar and other building construction debris often fall within the cavity between the inner and outer walls during construction of the cavity wall. The excess mortar and debris drops to the base of the cavity where it can block weep holes. Thus, some masonry cavity walls have been constructed with mortar and debris collection devices, or so-called “blockers”.
Examples of such blockers are provided by U.S. Pat. No. 6,684,579 B2 issued to Brunson et al; U.S. Pat. No. 6,023,892, Re. 36,676, and U.S. Pat. No. 5,230,189 issued to Sourlis; U.S. Pat. No. 5,692,348 issued to Ambrosino; U.S. Pat. No. 6,256,955 issued to Lolley; U.S. Pat. No. 5,598,673 issued to Atkins; and U.S. Pat. No. 5,860,259 issued to Laska, and U.S. Patent Application Nos. 2004/0003558 A1 and 2003/0230035 A1 issued to Collins et al.
While the masonry cavity wall assemblies having mortar and debris blockers and methods of assembling cavity walls disclosed in the above referenced patents may be satisfactory, there continues to be a need for alternatives with respect to the design of such blockers and methods of installation. For instance, the mortar and debris blocker should be capable of being properly installed in a manner requiring only a minimum of skill, effort and time. In addition, the blocker should be capable of efficient manufacture from inexpensive materials and should be of a form permitting efficient storage and shipping.